BoxRec

Anyone else with me on this one?

I can see Mitchell starting like a greyhound, if Johanneson stands firm and looks for openings he can KO him in Round 1.

Failing that I can see Mitchell tiring over the rounds and Johanneson exploiting this.

Mitchell is a good prospect, but has a padded record people seem to be forgetting this and making him such a favourite. I'm looking forward to coming back here on Sunday all smug and that!

its a tough one to call. i hope kevin wins but it wouldnt suprise me if carl beats him.

Mitchells chin hasn't had a thorough workout from a decent puncher yet, so it depends on how he copes with Johannesons bombs early on. CJ's whiskers ain't the best either though, so I reckon this is nailed on to finish inside the distance.

If pushed I'd go for a Mitchell stoppage rounds 6-8, but I won't be betting on this one

Doubt you will be though, because Mitchell will smash him to pieces. Younger, fitter, punches hard and has better resilience.

Johanesson has had his day.

Johannesson has been found wanting every time he steps up above domestic level and i reckon Mitchell will prove to be the best he's faced yet. Kev should stop him after around 6 or 7.

this really is a miny version of haye v macc

i see an early win for Mitchell & even earlier one for haye

cant see carl winning, he certainly will not stop mitchell

Get the impression Mitchell's chin is ok...so far anyway. Think he's better than some people give him credit for, but the careful matchmaking make him an easy target for an overrated label.

He looked a good puncher early on, but maybe not good enough to take out Carl, in which case he wins a 12 round war. Either way, Mitchell wins.

The_Don1 wrote:Failing that I can see Mitchell tiring over the rounds and Johanneson exploiting this.

mitchell tiring.

u obviously haven't watched mitchell closely enuff have u.

that is mitchell's strongpoint for me.

his stamina.

i see him maybe getting tagged too often.

but i don't see stamina being a problem.

Unbeaten Kevin Mitchell steps up in a crack at the British super-featherweight title held by Leeds puncher Carl "Ingemar" Johanneson.
Really steps up.
Mitchell has cruised to 25 wins and the Commonwealth belt as a pro, and looms as the mandatory challenger to Johanneson - but had Johanneson not been thrashed for the European title last summer, the brash young Londoner would never be in with such a heavy-handed champion. Johanneson was blasted in the fourth round by big-hitting Russian Leva Kirakosyan in that European title challenge in Barnsley last July - his second heavy loss to Kirakosyan - although Carl rebounded by stopping Manchester veteran Michael Gomez in six tough rounds in Barnsley in October to secure a magnificent Lonsdale Belt for life
He dropped Michael twice to force the finish.
The 29-year-old Johanneson has stopped 15 of his last 17 victims, a real puncher at this level, but (obviously) he can be hurt himself and even old man Gomez rattled him in the early rounds. If boxing is all about timing (and Duke McKenzie swears by this), 23-year-old Mitchell, in his east end manor, could be in the right place at the right time.
The smouldering Dagenham Destroyer turned pro in 2003 after a glittering amateur career (he was ABA senior champion as a teenager) and has stopped 18 of his 25 paid opponents to date, albeit at a level below Johanesson. He graduated to the Commonwealth title in a tense distance battle with Ghanaian wild man George Ashie in October 2006 (unanimous) and halted South Africa's smaller Harry Ramogoadi in six one-sided rounds in his first defence. Last time out in January, Mitchell destroyed Venezuelan Edison Torres in three rounds. The challenger enjoys great sparring with gym-mates and lean boxer-punchers (like Johanneson) Nicky Cook and Colin Lynes.
He looks ready for this move.
So we have a real fight on our hands and Mitchell, who has a classy jab and the real edge in speed, will probably look to outbox the champion in the early danger rounds before stepping on the power from the middle rounds. But make no mistake, this constitutes a major gamble for him and his camp. Johanneson has lost only to world class fighters and never to a British fighter.
But the champion does look a bit 'chinny' and is said to be struggling with the weight. Mitchell, in front of his own fans, should be able to rise to the occasion.

It has taken a long time for Mitchell to step up - 25 fights against mostly foreign opposition appears to be too much treading water. I don't think Mitchell is that great, he eats shots and his power is overated

Mitchell is also still very much unproven, but this is a fight where he can step out of the shadows and show what he is all about. Johanneson on the other hand is well established at British level, and has some good wins on his record, he shouldn't be written off.

It should be a good fight, and I lean ever so slightly to Mitchell in what will be a coming of age win.

This should be a cracking fight.

I see Mitchell coming out and trying to overwhelm Johanneson early, especially seeing what Kirakosyan did to him in the early rounds. If Johanneson survives the assaults by the 4th round i think this can become interesting.

Johanneson stood up to Gomez's best shots after all and Gomez can still whack even if he is shot. Perhaps Kirakosyan was just Johanneson's bogeyman?

Another differcult one to pick a winner, Mitchell is the better all round boxer, what i've liked about him lately is when tagged with a good punch he doesn't panic and knows when to hold, move or trade back.
I don't see a problem with Mitchells stamina, he's gone into the late rounds before without a problem. the only thing on Saturday is he may burn to much energy in the early rounds trying to impress his fans.

Johanneson has proved he can win in the other guys backyard, and been in bigger fights than Mitchell, so that experience can count. Carl is the bigger single puncher, but seems to take a couple of rounds to find his pace and distance for his punches. Against Gomez he seemed content to soak up the pressure and punches, then open up after 4 rounds. I don't think this will work quite as well against Mitchell, as Kevin has better stamina than Gomez.

I think this will go into the later rounds, with Kevins greater all round ability pulling off the win, but he may have to get off the floor to do it.